"I'd kind of stalled at Villa," Bannan told the South London Press. "I wasn't going anywhere. I needed to get out of my comfort zone.

"When I was younger I was always a player that would make things happen but then I was playing as a holding midfielder. "I'm not saying anything bad - I enjoyed working under Paul Lambert - but it was a role that didn't really suit me. I was sitting in front of the back four alongside Ashley Westwood.

"In saying that it probably got something different into my game, made me better tactically. But I couldn't really attack.

"Villa is a club that will always be in my heart. I spent eight years there.

"It petered out at the end a little bit and didn't work out the way I wanted it to. I grew up as a Celtic fan, but I'd say I support them as well."